The Italian pianist Maria Tipo, who has died at the age of 93, was renowned for her vivid articulation, effervescent characterisation and control of instrumental colour. Born in Naples in 1931, she studied first with her mother, Ersilia Cavallo, a pupil of Ferruccio Busoni, before moving to Rome to study with the elderly Alfredo Casella and another Busoni student, Guido Agosti.
In 1949 Tipo won the Geneva Piano Competition, where her playing was lauded by Arthur Rubinstein, who described her as ‘the most exceptional talent of our time’. Her playing came to wider attention in 1956, when she recorded the first of her numerous discs of Scarlatti, showcasing playing of vivacious rhythmic drive and imaginative pianistic resource. Inspired by Glenn Gould, she was one of the first European pianists to…
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International Piano (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2025